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INS USES CRIMINAL COURT APPEARANCES TO ARREST DEMONSTRATORS
New York City this week was the site of the United Nations Millennium Summit, and as one would expect, there were many protests aimed at member nations.  One protest was directed at the Iranian delegation, with more than 1,000 people participating.  It was organized by the National Council of Resistance, a US based group dedicated to the overthrow of the current government of Iran.  On Monday, police arrested 22 people at the demonstration, all of whom were of Iranian descent.

The arrests were for minor violations, carrying a maximum of 15 days in jail.  When the protesters were arraigned the next day, they were all sentenced to time served and were released.  While this should have been the end of the story, no one counted on the INS getting involved.  INS agents showed up at the arraignment and began questioning the 22 defendants, taking nine of them into custody.

Both the Police Department and the District Attorney’s office say they did not contact the INS.  According to David Kapner, a lawyer with the Legal Aid Society who was representing the defendants, it is “unheard of” for INS agents to simply appear in court without being called by another law enforcement agency.  He says that at least one of those taken into INS custody had her passport confiscated and was told she would be deported, even though she was planning on leaving the country at the end of the week.  
 
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